de Jong Delivers Final Fiscal Update
Prince George, B.C.- Finance Minister Mike de Jong has delivered, what may well be his last fiscal update as the Clark government is expected to fall tomorrow following a confidence vote.
de Jong says the anticipated surplus for the year 2016/17 fiscal year is expected to be about $2.8 billion dollars.
Revenue grew from 48 billion to 51 and a half billion dollars. But spending grew during that a fiscal year as well, with housing initiatives, extra costs for wildfire suppression, and infrastructure spending.
He says the additional revenue came from gdp growth which he says “dramatically out stripped forecasts” as the Province has projected 2.4% growth, but the actual growth was closer to 3.7%, the highest rate of growth among all provinces.
The prediction for 2017/18 is again for a good year. It means, the NDP/Green coalition will inherit a healthy fiscal position with a triple A rating, strong GDP and more revenue than initially expected over the next three years “That will translate into upwards of two billion dollars in revenue just on the taxation front” says de Jong . He says that is why the government was able to make the investments it announced in the Throne Speech.
He issues a caution, “If you start to dismantle the foundation on which this powerful economy has been built, those numbers will change in a hurry and the fiscal where with all to do the good things on the social side of the agenda will disappear. ” He says his job as a member of the Opposition will be to “focus and critique and analyze whether or not they are putting that foundation at risk.”
deJong took some time during his fiscal update to react to some of the narrative being presented by the NDP/Green coalition, “What I think is curious, at a time when the language from the other parties is about collaboration and working together, I said, look, here are two things that apparently all of us agree upon ( electoral reform and giving the Greens official party status) that I think we can do in a day and it will not delay the vote that takes place on Thursday. No games, no delays, let’s all hold hands and do what you keep telling people you want to do, which is work together, and pass two measures that everyone says they agree with. They couldn’t do it, they wouldn’t do it.”
He says the fiscal position which will be inherited by a new government “represents a bar against which a new government will be measured.”
Comments
Not sure what the Liberals want here. Support from the Greens. Tail wagging the dog for the next 4 years? I’d rather let the Greens and NDP fill their boots so that the 59% of voters who think a union/environmental coalition can create an environment where business will grow and provide jobs can test their policies. I truly hope they can do it because even though I wouldn’t be happy with the captain at the helm I’m stuck on this ship so their success is my success. And if they NDP repeat history, well, at least if the Green wake up and smell the roses they can be chucked overboard.
laying the ground work for the next provincial election. I believe the Liberals will be doing everything they can for another election because the Liberals can afford it, where the Greens can not and most likely the NDP are cash strapped. Elections cost the tax payers allot of money, but hey also cost the candidates a bunch as well.
She’s as disliked and or distrusted as Teresa May . this unaudited budget release so close to the non-confidence vote leaves one with only one conclusion . #sayanythingchristy
She’s disliked by some. I voted for my MLA, hard working and got things done.She may very well be at the helm again in four years or less. Liberals have given us a good place to work, live and retire, unlike the last fools that were in power in this province.
No griz , she’s disliked and or distrusted by 60 % of us in the majority . If you voted lib , you are in the minority . That’s quiet a bit more than “some ” . Let’s hope the rest of you LIbs don’t get that either .
Ataloss, according to Elections BC’s “Interim Statement of Votes”, the BC Liberal Party received the highest percentage of valid votes cast, at 40.36% of valid votes cast! So, 59.64% of the valid votes were not for the BC Libs.
The BC NDP, who claim that they won, only received 40.28% of valid votes cast. That’s slightly less than the BC Libs, but less is less! And using that number, even more of valid votes cast, 59.72% were against the NDP!
And the BC Greens? Well, they only managed to garner 16.84% of valid votes cast, so using that number, 83.16% of the valid votes were against the BC Greens!
Using your point of view, Horgan is disliked or distrusted by more people than Clark is, and Weaver is dislike or distrusted by a whopping 83.16% of eligible voters! Ouch!!
But you knew all of that already, right?
*unaudited.
2.8 billion, well not only unaudited they don’t underline were the money came from but more so the 3.6 billion they promised for hospitals , schools and infrastructure before the election was called. Me thinks its a little setup full of BS. Or explains why all the user fees went up. Not buying this crap from any party.
Mr. post-it-notes and delete ASAP… can say what he wants to about what’s left in the provincial kitty it’s all moot until the Auditor General gets to have a look …
This Just in… BC. Libs prepare to go forward with PRIVATIZATION of the wild life management branch of Govt. what does this mean for
BC ers Mr. Morrison?
Dogs, can you please tell me where you got this info? And, was it Wildfire Management Branch or Fish and Wildlife Branch?
For info try Google. Looks like fish and wildlife to me.
Yes, don’t post bullshit without the proof to back it up.
The greens want to introduce legislation so people can hike, camp and hunt on undeveloped private property, this agreement with the NDP may allow it to become law
You just made that up .
Ya, let’s just throw the trespass laws out the window. That will last only until someone gets shot being on property that is posted. Again more BS without the proof.
It is called Right to Roam act, look it up
Wow, these people have no shame. Absolute psychopaths drunk with power and our money.
“represents a bar against which a new government will be measured.”
What bar would that be, the one lying on the ground? The one that sets a road map for decimating a province’s social infrastructure, selling off its public assets, using crown corporations to “balance” the books and funnel public money to private interests? All the while doubling the provincial debt?
If there were any justice, you’d all die in hospital hallways waiting for care after having strokes.
Bit harsh , maybe , but I’d just like to know where the heck the electionsBC /RCMP donor fraud investigation is . Who’s paying who ? And for what ? It’s kind of important for the sake of OUR democracy , such as it is .
“If there were any justice, you’d all die in hospital hallways waiting for care after having strokes.”
What a stunning Comment!.
Thanks for the lies de Jong.. I wouldn’t let you be in charge of a two hole outhouse.
If he was looking after a two hole outhouse it would most likely be a two story . The libs are used to treating people this way. I think you will get the picture.
I will take the top floor please and thanks…too funny old fart
I agree with P Val on this one.
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